Lifeguards and Lifeboat combine to rescue three teenagers trapped by incoming tide in Rhyl

Three teenagers had to be rescued by lifeguards and a lifeboat on Saturday afternoon after they became cut off from the Rhyl shore.  

The incident happened as the tide was coming back in, three males who were on a sandbank near Rhyl lifeboat station found a deep muddy gully – which lay between them and the safety of the shore – had quickly filled with sea water trapping their exit back.

The RNLI lifeguard patrol at Rhyl spotted their plight, and one of the lifeguards ran down the beach to the shoreline, then waded up to his waist across the gulley to assist the group, calling for back-up from the RNLI lifeboat volunteers, who were paged immediately by the UK coastguard at Holyhead.

The lifeguard got the party on to the highest part of the sandbank, which was just covering their knees as the lifeboat arrived.

The three and the lifeguard were taken on board the inshore lifeboat, and were returned to the lifeboat station and to their waiting relatives, safe and well.

Photograph shows the amount of water between the youths and the sandbank where they were stranded.

Martin Jones , coxswain at Rhyl lifeboat station said:

‘The RNLI always advises beach-goers to chat with the lifeguards about the tides and weather. Always swim at a lifeguarded beach, read and observe the flags put out by the lifeguards, and the beach can be a safe place to enjoy’.

He added: ‘On this occasion, the RNLI lifeguards were able to see the situation developing, and advised the party to stay on the sandbank until the lifeboat arrived.

If they had decided to try to cross the gulley, the water would have been quite deep, and as they were fully clothed, there could have been more dangerous consequences’.

Photographs by RNLI/Paul Frost.